Recoil and running-out gear for ordnance.



A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM. RBCOIL AND RUNNING-OUT GEAR FOR ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1910.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

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ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS. BUCKHAM, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 VICKERS, LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTEB,

ENGLAND.

RECOIL AND RUNNING-OUT GEAR FRV ORDNANGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

@Patenten sept. i, rein.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ARTHUR Tnnvon DAWSON, knight, and Gnonon THOMAS BUCK- HAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at 32 Victoria street, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Recoil and Running-Out Gear for Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to recoil and running out gear of the kind in which'the recoil gear comprises a brake cylinder and the running out gear comprises an air compresser and a compressed air reservoir into which the liquid contained in the compressor is forced by the recoil of the gun, the reaction of the compressed air in the said reservoir, after recoil causing the liquid to be forced back again into the air conipressor and in so doing to effect the running out of the gun.

Recoil and running out gear of the above stated kind has already been proposed in which the brake cylinder and the air coinl presser are arranged within, and secured to,

the air reservoir which is connected with the gun, communication between the air compresser and the air reservoir being effected by means of a passage in the wall of the air compressor; on recoil these parts all move together with the gun, the pistons of the brake cylinder and air compressor beingl stationary and connected with the forward end of the gun cradle which is specially formed to receive and protect the entire recoil and running out gear.

According to our invention we arrange the brake cylinder, the air compressor and the air reservoir within the gun cradle as aforesaid s0 that they move together when the gun recoils, but instead of arranging the brake cylinder and the air compressor within the air reservoir, we arrange them in front of the said air reservoir, to the forward end of which they are connected in any convenient manner, whereby the diameter of the cradle can be reduced and its length increased.

Communication between the interior of the air compressor and that of the air reservoir may be eiiected by a port at the forward end of the air compressor leading to a passage 1n the wall of the air compressor, which passage may be connected with a tube extending longitudinally into the air reservolr 1n a position to insure that the free end o f the tube shall always be covered with the .llquid in the reservoir at any angle of elevation of the gun, as is necessary in this kind of recoil and running out gear. In stead of employing the said tube, we may place 1n the air reservoir the well known floating piston and we may provide the same with suitable packing rings, the said piston separating the air from the liquid which latter is in the forward part of the reservolr and always in communication with the end of the aforesaid passage in the wall of the air compressor. As is usual with this kind of gear we also provide a pressure gage for indicating the degree of internal pressure and for this purpose we may form the piston rod of the air compressor with a longitudinal hole or bore extending from its forward end to a point in front of the piston. where it communicates with the interior of the air compressor by a lateral passage or opening. To the forward end of this piston rod the pressure gage is attached so as to communicate with the said longitudinal hole thereof. The pressure gage may be protected from injury by a front cap attached to the cradle and furnished with a shutter to enable the dial of the gage to be inspected when desired. In order to permit of the air reservoir being replenished with compressed air for maintaining the proper pressure therein as required in connection with this kind of recoil and running out gear, we may provide the rear end of the air reservoir where it is attached to the lug on the gun, with a twofstagc or other convenient form of air pump, the plunger of which ,may be suitably formed at its outer end to roceive a handle for actuating it. This pump advantageously forms va component part of the air reservoir. The brake cylinder and its piston may be of any ci the Well known types suitable for the purpose. A

En order that our said invention may .be

clearly understood and readily carried into eilect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which v Figure l is a sectional elevation showing a gun provided with our improved recoil and running out gear. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 1-1 of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4; is a sectional elevation showing an alternativeconstruction.

Ais the gun, B is the cradle on which it slides, C is the air reservoir, D is the brake cylinder with its piston D and piston rod D2, and E is the air compressor with its piston Ef and piston rod E2. The brake cylinder D is connected with the air reservoir by means of an externally screw threaded coupling piece Dx which screws into threaded sockets in the rear end of the brake cylinder and in the forward end of the air reservoir; the air compressor E is made integral with the forward end of the air reservoir C The rear end of said air reservoir passes through a lug A on the gun, and is retained in position by means of a nut A* which screws on the end of the reservoir and bears againstthe rear face of said lug A', a key a* being provided to prevent the said air reservoir from turning. At the forward end of the air compressor is the port e leading to the passage e in the wall of the said air compressor. This passage communicates with the tube Fix which extends into the air reservoir C and which as aforesaid ais of such a length and in such a position that the free end thereofl is always covered withl the liquid in the reservoir at any angle of elevation -of the gun.

F is the pressure gage for indicating the degree of internal pressure said gage communicating with the interior .of the air compressor through the longitudinal hole or bore e2 in the piston rod E2 and a lateral A opening e". The pressure gage F`1s attachedto the piston rod by means of a screwed connection f.

Fx is the front cap which is attached to the cradle B and incloses the pressure gage; it is as above stated furnished with a side shutter (not shown) to expose the dial of the gage when required.

G is the two-stage air'pump which is screwed into the rear end of the air'reservoir. The plunger g of the said air pump isformed at its outer end las a ring gX to receive a handle for actuating the said plun- In the modified construction shown' in Fig. 4, H is the floating piston which is provided withpacking rings 71, and which serves to separate the air in the rear end-of the reservoir C from the-liquid which is retained in the forward part ofsaid resevoir, so that the liquid is always in communication with the aforesaid passage e. The said piston H moves in the air reservoir C in accordance with the movement of the gun during recoil and thereby compresses the air in the reservoir C on the rear side of said piston. The compressed air then reacts upon the liquid through the intervention of the piston and causes the gun to return to the run out position in the usual manner. pressor IC instead of being integral with the air reservoir C is screwed into the said reser- Voir to allow for the insertion and removal of the piston H when desired. Y

The air coin- Y What we claim and desire to secure by Y Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In recoil and running out gear for ordnance theV combination of` a brakercylinder,V an an' compressor, 'an air reservoir, means Y for connecting the rear ends of the said brake cylinder and the air compressor to the forward end of the air reservoir, Vand a floating piston in the air reservoir.

2. In recoil and running out gear for ordnance, the combination of a brake cylinder, an air reservoir, an air compressor having a passage communicating with lthe air reservoir, means for connecting the rear ends of Vthe said brake cylinder and the an' compresscr to the forward end of the air reservoir so that the said cylinder and compressor project wholly in front of the reservoir, and a floating piston in the air reservoir.

3. In recoil and running out gear for ordnance, the combination of -a brake cylinder, an air compressor arranged beneath said brakecylinder, an air reservoir, means for connecting the Irear ends of the saidbrake cylinder and the air compressor to the forward end of the air reservoir so that the said cylinder and compressor project wholly in front of the reservoir, and a ioating piston in the air reservoir.

4. In recoil and running out gear for ordnance, the combination of a brake cylinder, l

an air reservoir, an air compressor having a passage communicating with the air reservoir, means for connecting the said brake cylinder and the air compressor to the forward end of the air reservoir and a oatin-g piston in the air reservoir.

5. Inrecoll and running-out gear for ordnance, the combination of a brake cylinder,;.

an air reservoir, an air; compressor having a passage communicatmg with'the' a1r reservoirymeans for connecting the said brake' cylinder and the air compressor to the' for-.- ward end of the airreservoir, a floating piston in the air reservoir and packing rings on'said floating piston.

6. In recoil and running out gear, the combination of a brake cylinder, an air compressor, a piston rod of said compressor having a Vhole formed therein that terminatesinl the air compressor, a pressure gage at the Voir, and an air pump forming a component outer end of said hole, an air reservoir, and part of said air reservoir.

means for Connecting the brake cylinder und In testimony whereof we affix our signathe air compressor to the forward end of the tures in presence 'of two Witnesses.

5 Semin ARTHUR 'rmavoR DAWSON.

7. In recoil and running out gear the s Y, n T .y l Combination of a brake cylinder, an aircom- GL 0R61 'I'HOHA B L'C'kHAM' pressor, an air reservoir, means for conneot- Vtnesses: lng the sald brake oyllnder and the zur com- HENRY KING, 10 pressor to the forward end of the alr reserl ERNEST E. LARKINS. 

